DTS Project 2-1

September 18, 2014

Form and Deformation – OR, NOT, AND, XOR

This project explores three-dimensional form through a series of logical exercises: additive, subtractive, and intersecting. The rules of these exercises are based on a subset of Boolean operations, generally used in logic, mathematics, and in the design of algorithms. Boolean logic is named after George Boole, who introduced Boolean algebra in 1854. In design, Boolean logics are typically deployed in computer software for three dimensional modeling and used to develop relationships between geometric forms and build complex forms from primitive or simplistic forms. In this exercise, we will be inquiring into a subset of Boolean logic that we will deploy as formal operations. Here we provide a simplistic mapping between Boolean logic and formal operations: ‘OR’ – add, ‘NOT’ – subtract, ‘AND’ – intersect, ‘XOR’ – exclude. It is easy to diagram these logical operations in two dimensions with a limited number of shapes or geometries (like the two circles below similar to a Venn diagram). However, this exercise becomes increasingly more complex when adding more shapes or a third dimension.